This invention relates generally to grounding and more particularly to grounding components, which create a grounding condition for an electrical apparatus.
Grounding is the intentional electrical connection to a reference-conducting plane, which generally consists of a specific array of interconnected electrical conductors referred to as the grounding conductor. Grounding provides a zero point for an electrical conductor system.
Typically, grounding from a printed circuit board (hereinafter xe2x80x9ccircuit boardxe2x80x9d) to a grounding feature is done by soldering or pressing a pin of a grounding element into a circuit board, and contacting the grounding element to the grounding feature. The pin is pressed or soldered into the circuit board to provide a grounding path from the circuit board, or another electrical element, to the grounding feature. When the circuit board is contained in a plastic housing, the grounding element is also contained, at least partially, inside of the plastic housing.
As a result of being partially contained in a plastic housing, the grounding element must be configured to partially integrate into the plastic housing to contact the circuit board, while maintaining contact with the grounding feature, which is outside of the plastic housing. Due to the configuration of plastic housings it may become cumbersome and unreliable to press fit or solder a pin into a circuit board.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need to have a permanent and reliable grounding path from a circuit board to a grounding feature via a grounding element.
The present invention provides for articles of manufacture, systems and methods for communicating with at least one circuit board. In one embodiment, there is a grounding element with a first and second portion. In this particular exemplary embodiment, the first portion is configured as a fork to provide for contact to a circuit board, and the second portion is configured to provide contact to a grounding feature. The grounding feature can, among a number of other grounding features, be a vehicle. In this embodiment, the fork has two prongs extending substantially parallel from the second portion, and the fork is configured to engage the top and bottom portion of a circuit board.
In another embodiment, a grounding system utilizes the exemplary grounding element described above. In this particular embodiment, a housing integrates an exemplary fork and a mounting pad extends externally from the housing integrating the second portion.
In yet another embodiment, there is a method for grounding a circuit board contained in a substantially non-metallic housing, with a grounding element.